Research Article

THE INTERSECTION OF TECHNOLOGY AND FINANCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN SSA: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

ISSN: 3067-2511

DOI Prefix: 10.5281/zenodo.

Authors: Grace Onome Okonjo
Published: Volume 12, Issue 2 (2025)
Date: June 26, 2025

Abstract

The study was undertaken to examine technology and conditional financial development of Sub- Saharan Africa (SSA) countries. The dependent variable used in the study is the conditional financial development proxy by the domestic credit to private sector (DCPS) and the independent variable is technology proxy by mobile telephone users (MTU), internet users (INT), fixed broadband (FBOB), fixed telephone subscriptions (FTS),  and  urban population as a share of total population (UPTP). Secondary data were obtained from the World Development Indicators and International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for a period of 10years (2013-2022) for thirty (30) countries. Data obtained were analyzed using descriptive analysis, correlation analysis, variance inflation factor (VIF), Heteroskedasticity test, etc. Eview software package (9.0) was used to run the different pre-estimation tests, diagnostic test and the GLM test (regression test). The results reveals that  mobile phones users (MTU) and Urban population as a share of total population (UPTP) affirms negative insignificant effect on domestic credit to private sectors (DCPS) of SSA countries but   internet users (INT),  fixed broadband (FBOB) and fixed telephones subscriptions (FTS) affirms positive significant effect on domestic credit to private sectors (DCPS)  of SSA countries. Hence, the study concludes that technology have significant effects on conditional financial development of Sub- Saharan Africa (SSA) countries. The study recommends that the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy (FMCDE) should sensitize the populace on the importance of urban population and mobile phones uses, FMCDE should also create more easy access to fixed broadband in SSA countries and lastly, the study also recommends that SSA countries should encourage migration of people from villages to urban areas so as to advance the economy.